Concrete railway-track support.



I A.STARK. GONGRETE RAILWAY TRACK SUPPORT. APPLIOATON PILED JAN. 17, 1910. RENBWBD OUT. 7,'1010.

Patented May '9 way tracks in lieu of ties of ANDREW STARK, OF CH ICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONCRETE RAILWAY-TRACK SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1911.

Application filed January 17, 1910, Serial No. 538,524. Rcnewed October 7, 1910. Serial No. 585,891.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW STARK,` a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Concrete Railway -Track supports, of which'the following is a specificaton', reference beiiw had to the drawings forming a part thereo he purpose of this invention is to provide an improved form of support for rail'- the ordinary construction. 4

It consists in the elements and features of constructionshown'and des rioed as indicated in the elaims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 .s a plan View 'of a section of the railway track having ftrack supports embodying this invcntion.

Fig. 2 is a detail section at the line 2-2 on said Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of one of the supports at the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, but on a smaller scale. Fig. 4 is a perspeetive view of one of the reinforcements. l

This invention contemplates supporting the rails of a railway track by metal-rein- 'forced cement blocks or anchors, positioned opposite each other under the two rails and a short distance apart along each rail, the opposite anchors or blocks being connected together by any convenient form of tie-rod to maintain the proper spacing between the rals. The concrete block may be either circular or polygonal as seen in Fig. 1 where both forms are shown. It is in general of disk form preferably thickest at the middle A and taperng ofl" in all directions to the perphery.

The reinforcement comprises a metal band C, preferably endless and substantially circular about a vertical axis through the thickest part of the block, such band being positioned ashort distance inward from the periphery, so as to be fully rotected by the cement concrete 'of the block in which it is completely embedded. Other desirable reinforcement comprises bars, 2, 2, positioned transversely with respect to each other, preferably approximately radial-ly flexed approximately to the taper of the block from center to periphery. Two pairs of suchbars are shown positioned and flexcd upward at their ends, and two pairs of similar bars being positioned near the upper side and flexed 'which will cover it, a

downward at .their The block is for-med with a recess in the upper side extending entirely across the block at themiddle and deep enough to ac- ,commodate a plank, 3, which is designed to form a cushion to seat the rail, 4, and afi'ord engagement for the rail-screwing spikes, 6. It will be understood that the cement blocks, A, are positioned in the road bed with said recess and the planks therein extending longitudinally of the-rails as seen in Fig. 1. The blocks may be molded with vertical apertures inside the annular reinforcing band C, for suitable fastenings, as bolts 7 by which the planks, 3, are Secured in said recesses; and preferably, in order to offset the tendency of the rail cxtending lengthwisc of the grain of the plank to split the plank, metal plates, 9, are interposed between the rail and the planks, the pla es extending entirely across lank to afl'ord greater hearing thereon than s aflorded by the base fiage of the rail. The screw spikes, e, preferably take through this plate as shown. The polygonal form in which one of the blocks is shown in Fig. 1, has the advantagemf offering more resistance to rotation or turning in the road bed than the cylindrical or Strictly circular'block, and may be preferred for this reason.

Provsion for connecting together the op posite blocks, A, A, is preferably of the form illustrated, consisting in forming the block with a vertical eeftral aperture which is produced in molding by `lodging a vertical thinble, 10, in' the mold at the center and forming in the uppe side of the block a groove, 10, extending to the 'periphery in the direction directly transverse to the=recess which acconmodates the plank, 3, such groove extending below the bottom of said recess a sufficicnt depth to accommodate the diameter of the eoupling, B, which consists of a rod havingts end portions, B bentgat right angles to the remainderof the rod and parallel to each other and adapted thereby to be engaged in thecentral apertures of two opposite blocks, A, Au Th' fullyprotccted by the ba last of the road bed finer portion of the ballast filling the grooves, 10. The rod will be readily accessible by excavating the 'ballaslt whenever it is necessary to remove the ro v In order to accommodate the thimble' and s rod can be the width of the 4 permit the easy formation of the axial aper- 'versely of the track. An important advantage is obt ained by this particular expedient for coupling together the opposite blocks, A,-

A, in 'that the axial apert-ure lying within I the tlimble, 10 is adapted to receive a rod which is thrust through it, and used as a handle for rolling-or, if necessary, for lifting and carrying the block from point to point in Construction.

In either the crcular or polygonal form it may sometimes be deemed advantageous,

in order to diminish the weakening of the blo'ck which is caused by the channel in which the plank, 3, is lodged extending entirely across the block, A, and also in order to render it.more convenient 'to have the rail cushioning block positioned with its v grain transverse to the rail to form instead of the diametric channel for the plank, 3, two notches or pockets, 12, 12, at diametrically opposite positions in the upper side .of the lock and lodge in them blocks, 3 3% somcwhat thicker than the depth of the channel so that they protrude above the intervening central portion of the block, A such .intervening portons thus constituting a tie across what would otherwise be a continuous diametric channel in the top of the block. These notches or pockets may be made somewhat longer than the width' of the channel in the other form, and the blocks lodged within them may have their grain extending transversely of the rail; and in this case the metal' plate preferably employed in the other form to preventsplitting 'the plank, 3, may be dispensed With. The

form of the block on the under side, tapering froni the nidlle to the edges,greatly 't'a'- cilitatcs tamping the ballast under the block and tends to insure firm support in the road The tapering form of the upper surface besides resulting in the saving of material which would not add appreciably to the strcngth tends to cause water to drain oil' from the top of the block and thereby to be drawn away froni the wooden plankj It will be obvious that actual continuity of the rein'foreing band .is not essential to its (il'ecfircness, though itwill prcferably be made mmtinuous; butthe adhcsive grasp of the conc'ete upon the band at all points when the. band s embedded as described, su pplements the tenacity of the band itself, so that thevalue of the metal in the band for the purpose of rendering the entire disk rigid in the manner in which a wheel is rendered rigid by the encompassing tire, is not dependent upon the continuity of the band to any such extent as rigidity of the wheel is dependent upon the continuity of its tire. i i Obviously so far as the strength of the block is concerned, for carrying the load and 4 I resisting fracture, it is not necessary that it should be tapered or diminshed in vertical dimension from center to periphery, but it is 'of importance that the encompassing band should be 'or extend at a level lower than that at which the load is imposed, whether or not eXtend up to that level and whether or not the concrete is sloped from the center outward as shown. The value or importance of the taper or slope from center to periphery of lower side, that it facilitates tamping, and as to the upper side facilitates drainage and that in this form'the' quantity used is ony what contributes to strength.

claim: 4

l. A railway track support consisting of a cement concrete block, having an annular reinforcing band positioned within the concretc near the periphery, and transverse reinforcing bars positioned respectively near the top and bottom of the disk.

2. A railway track support c'onsisting of a cement concrete block of disk form thickest in -the middle and tapering thercfrom to the periphery, having an annular rein-. forcing band positioned within the concrete near the periphery, and metal reinforcing bars extending transversely near thetop and bottom of the disk and oppositely flexed to' approxinate the radial taper.-

3. A railway track support consisting of.

the con'crete block is as to .the

a concrete block of disk form thickcst in the middle and tapering. therefrom to the. periphcry, having an annular reinforcing band positioned within the concrctc near the periphery, and transverse reinforcing -bars within the comrete near the top and bottom of the disk.

4. A rail'way track support consisti'ng of a concrcte block 'of disk form thickest 'in the middle and tapering therefron to the pe'iphery, having an annular reinforcing fore'ng band positioned within the concrete near the periphery; transversely extcnding uetal renforcng bars postoned respectively near the top and bottom of the disk crossing each other a little aside from the center, the concrete block having a vertical aprture at the center.

6 A railway track support consisting of con'erete cement blocks oppositely positioned under the respective rails, and a coupling which connects them, each block being of disk form and having an embedded metal reinforcing band encom passing the axis near the periphery and verticaliy extending apertures within the band, the coupling consisting of a -rod having its ends bent at an angle to the intermediate portion parallel to each other and engaged in said vertical aperturcs ofthe opposite concrete blocks.

7. A railway track support consisting of concrete cement block oppositely positioned under the respective rails, and couplings which connect such oppositely, positioned blocks; each block being of disk form having an embedded metal reinforeing band encompassing the axis near the periphery, a vertical aperture' located within the band and a groove in the upper surface ext'ending froni said a-per'ture to the periphery; the coupling consisting of a rod having its end portions bent at an angle to its intermediate portion and parallel to each other and engaged within said vertical aperture, the intermediate portion being lodged in the grooves.

8. A railway -track support consisting of concrete blocks oppositely positioned under the respective rails, each block being of disk form having an embedded metal reinforcing band encompassing the axis near the e- .riphery, a recess in the upper surface and a vertical aperture at the 'center opening into p the bottom of said recess, and a groove leading from the upper end of such vertical aperture to the periphery transversely to the said recess; cushioning blocks lodged in the recesses of the opposite concrete blocks, and -a coupling connectng each two opposite conc'ete blocks consisting of a rod havin its endsbent at right angles to the intermediate portion and parallel to each other engaged n said vertical' recesses and lodged in said groovcs under the cushioning blocks. 5). A railway track support consisting of a 'cement concrete block having an annular reinforcing band positioned within the concrete near the eriphery, and rcinforcing bars extending tro near the axis outward toward the' periphery. u 10. A railway track support consisting of concrete blocks oppositely positioned under -the` respective rails, each block having a metal reinforcing band encompassing its vertical axs-near the' perphery, and a recess leading from one surface vertically within the band and a coupling connecting the oppositcly positioned blocks, having its ends adapted tor engagenent within said -ecesses.

11. A railway track support consisting of concrete blocks oppositely positioned under the respective rails, each bloek'having a metal reinforcing band cnconpassing its axis near the periphery, coupliegs connecting the oppositely positio'ned blocks and means for engaging the couplings with the blocks inside the bands.

12. .A railway track support consisting of a cement concrete block of disk form having a metal reint'oreing band encompassing the axis, embedded in the concrete near the periphery. t

13. A railway track support consisting of a cement concrete block inforcement consisting'o fi'relativ ely wide band positioned vertically ed 'ewise enbcdded in the concr'etenear th'e periphery.

14. A railway track support consisting of a cement concrete bloek having a metal reinforcement consisting of a short upright cylinder embedded in the concrete near the periphery flthe block.

15. A railvay track support consistingof a cement concrete block having a metal re- ?using a metal reinfotcement consisting of a short upright 'forcing bars embedded in the concrete positioned respectively near the top and near the level of the top and bottom of said rein-.

foreing cylindex' 16. VA railway track support consisting of a cement concrete block having an annular reinforeing band positioned within the. concrete near the pcriphery, and having in its upper side a recess for seatinga rai1-cushioning block, and bolt apertures extending through the concrete block within the area of said recess and inside the annular reinforcing band.

17. A railway track support consisting of a cement concrete block having an annular reinforcing band positioned within the concrcte near the pcriphery, and having inits upper surfaces recesscs or pockets extending in froni the edge at opposite sides for receiving cushioning' blocks, and bolt aper- 

